The Day Her World Stopped
by B. Alex Burke
Summary: This is the missing scenes [my version, at least] from Forgivness and Stuff. Emily POV. Rated T because of lemony bits and language. Enjoy!


The Christmas Party

**A/N: Ok, I know it's NO where near Christmas, but I just watched this episode, so I wanted to fill in the gaps, so to speak. AND, I skipped majority of the scenes that were already in the episode, so...yeah. Oh, it's Emily POV. Don't forget to review:-P

* * *

**

Tonight is the night of my annual Christmas party. Richard invited Alan and Holland Prescott, as usual, and I invited my old friend, Gigi Britton. Richard's been running around his study, getting things organized, and he's been running to the office every hour or two. I wish he'd slow down. Richard's in his study now, probably cursing at something that went wrong. I knock on the door. No answer. I knock again, and still no answer. I poke my head in the door and see him on the phone with a client, I assume.

"That's not what I said, Mr. Diggory. No, I said...Mr. Diggory? Hello? Son of a bitch!" He slams the phone back on the cradle. " I can't believe it!"

"What is it, Baby?" I walk up to him, and sit on his lap.

" I lost one of Floyd's favorite clients." Richard sighs. I rub his chest is little circles with my index finger. "Does that make it better?"

"Yes. Much better." He leans over and kisses me deeply. I return the gesture, biting at his lip. He lets my tongue explore his mouth while his tongue explores mine. We only break to catch our breath. Kissing takes a lot of oxygen. Our breathing pace slows, and we continue. Richard kisses my face, my neck, and starts unbuttoning my blouse. "Richard." I say quietly, almost a whisper.

"Hmm?" He continues to kiss the area that is uncovered.

"Richard, the maid could come in." He's so good with his mouth.

"I'll lock the door." He gets up, me in his arms, and walks to the door. I lock it for him, and he takes me over to the couch. Richard slides my shirt off, and just stares at me and smiles.

"What?" I ask him as he tickles my side. "Ee!"

"Are you ticklish? You're so beautiful, you know that?" He's still tickling me.

"Richard! Yes, I'm very ticklish!" I pull him into a kiss. It seems to make the tickling go away, but now he's unfastening my bra.

"Mmmm...You taste good." Richard's kissing my abdomen, and is now working his way up to my upper torso. I flinch involuntarily as he licks my ribs. "Something wrong?"

"That tickles." I pull him back up to me, and start nibbling at his ear. I hear him growling, so that must feel awfully good. "Does that feel good?" I give him a mischievous smile.

"Better than you could possibly imagine. You're really talented with that mouth of yours." He kisses me tenderly.

"You're good with your mouth, too." Just after I said that, his cell phone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket, and starts talking in Chinese. UGH! I swear that business of his could call someone else. I get up, put my bra and shirt back on, and go see how dinner is doing. I'm in the kitchen when Richard comes in and puts his arms around my waist. I excuse the maid and wrap my hand around one of Richard's.

"I'm sorry, My Love. That was the Chinese office calling to see when Henry was going to call. We can head back to my office, or we could go upstairs to finish what we started. How's that sound?" He tightens his grip around my waist.

"I would, if I could. The apple tarts won't make themselves." I turn around, Richard's arms still around my waist. "Have the maid make them. That's why we pay her." He starts nipping at my neck.

"Sweetheart, the last time I let the maid make my apple tarts, they ended up so runny you could eat the filling with a straw! Besides, it's a family recipe, and I can say _I_ cooked them. If my mother were alive to see me letting someone other than family cooking her famous apple tarts, she would kill me." I can feel tears glistening in my eyes.

"Oh, Emily. Don't cry. I hate to see you cry, even when it's a happy cry. It tears my heart to bits." Richard says as he wipes away the one tear I let escape. He gives me a quick kiss, then lets me get to work on the tarts.

* * *

"Richard! Alan and Holland are here! Get in here!" I yell as the doorbell rings. I answer, and give Holland a hug. Alan gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, and I usher them to the living room.

"Oo, Emily. Something smells wonderful. Is it...Roast?" Alan says, and sits next to Holland on the couch adjacent to my chair.

"Yes, it is. Um, excuse me for a moment. I don't think Richard heard me tell you were here." I get up, and head for Richard's study. I knock, and there's no answer. I knock again and hear him yell, "What the hell?". I open the door a little, just enough for my head to fit through. "Richard?"

"Oh, Emily. It's you. I didn't know what that noise was." He chuckles slightly.

"Alan and Holland are here, and are waiting in the living room." I walk up to Richard as he stands. I straighten his bow tie, and he takes my hands in his.

"You look nice tonight." He kisses my hands, my lips, my neck. I start blushing.

"Richard, we need to get back. Alan and Holland are waiting." Richard pulls me closer, and kisses me deeply on the mouth.

"They can wait." He says against my lips.

"No, Baby, they can't. They'll come check on us, and I would prefer Alan and

Holland to not witness our...private lives." I pull away, disappointing him greatly. '_I'd love to, Sweetie, but the timing sucks.' _I think to myself. We walk out of Richard's study just as Alan was coming to see if we were ok. Richard fixes them drinks, and I answer the door.

"Gigi! It's so wonderful to see you!" I say, hugging Gigi, and then leading her to the living room.

"It's good to see you, too. Holland Prescott?" She sees Holland on the couch.

"Yes, it is." Holland gets up and hugs Gigi. "I'm so glad you could come. How long has it been? Three years?"

"I think longer than that." Gigi and Holland start talking about their children and grandchildren, while I excuse myself to the kitchen to check on the roast.

"Lydia, it smells wonderful." I compliment the maid.

"Thank you ma'am. Dinner should be ready in about ten minutes." Lydia replied, and went back to her work.

I walk back to the living room just in time to hear the doorbell ring. "Rory, come in. You look lovely." I say as I open the door to let Rory in.

* * *

"Richard! Oh, for heaven's sake. Richard!" I get up and walk to the hall. I turn the corner and my heart stops... 

Richard's on the floor...

unconscious.

"Oh my God!" I whisper. "Oh my God!" I say again, a little louder this time. I hear footsteps. It's Rory. "Grandpa! I'll call 911!" She runs back to the dining room, and gets the phone from the table in the hall. All I can do is stand there, looking at my husband's body lying on the floor. Allan, Holland, and Gigi walk up to the door. "Oh my goodness!" Gigi walks up to me, and places a hand on my shoulder. "Emily, are you alright?" I don't comprehend much, but I nod anyway. I hear a siren outside. I'm still standing in the dining room when the paramedics come in and go to him. I can't seem to move, think, talk, or do anything. The paramedics take him out on a stretcher, and I follow them. I get into the ambulance, and Rory shuts the doors as they asked her. After we start moving, one of the men takes off Richard's bow tie and tosses it on the floor. I lean over, making sure I don't bump into anything, and pick up the green and red tie.

We're in the emergency room lobby now, and a woman in a white uniform is pestering the hell out of me. Rory seems to have followed the ambulance, for she is now running up to me. I give her a hug, and she clings to me for a moment. "Grandma," she begins, trying not to cry, "I'd better go call Mom. I'll be right back." Rory gives me another hug, and walks toward a line of pay phones.

Why didn't I call Lorelai when I got here? I mean, I have a cell phone with me. That nurse is still bugging me with stupid questions.

It's been five minutes since Rory went to call Lorelai. I hope she got a hold of her. The nurse has stopped asking me questions, and went to go check on Richard. God, I'm so scared.

"Did you find out anything?" Rory asks as she comes back from her phone call.

"Please! They run this place like the CIA!"_ Joshua!_ "Joshua, thank God! This place is infuriating."

"It's alright, I'm here. I'm going to check on him right now. Have you filled out the forms yet?"

"I don't care about the forms, I want to see my husband."

"Is she being obstinate?" he says to Rory.

"Very. " she replies. _Thanks, Rory._

"Let me see what's going on and then we'll take it from there."

Joshua walks through the glass doors.

"And there he goes through the doors." I say. I'm so frustrated!

"Maybe I should call mom again." Rory says compassionately.

"Never mind, I'm sure she's very busy."

"That's not true, I bet she'd-"

"Rory, go get your Grandfather a paper-"

"But-"

"The Wall Street Journal or Barron's. Whatever they have, he'll want

something to read when he gets back to his room."

"Ok, can I get you something? Maybe a coffee? "

"No dear, I'm fine. " Rory walks off to get the papers, and I walk around the corner to call Lorelai. I catch her answering machine.

_Goddammit! Lorelai, you better get here soon!_ I walk back around the corner, and that pestering nurse is back.

"Ms. Gilmore, I need..." Ms. Gilmore? _Oh no, now you've done it! _I start yelling at her for calling me Ms. Gilmore, and not Mrs. Gilmore. Then she starts talking about those damn forms! "Rats nibbling at my toes? Hmm?" I yell. I know she's just trying to do her job, but I'm so scared right now. I walk around for a little while, and I finally find a seat near the front desk. That stupid, pesky nurse finds me, and asks me for, yet again, my proof of insurance. I walk back to the desk and begin what I do best, by Lorelai's standards: Shouting. "His portrait is hanging in the lobby, go look! It's right above the sign that says 'Founder'!" I scream at the top of my lungs. If I'm not careful, I'll be hoarse by the end of the night.

"Mom!" _Lorelai? She came! She finally came._

"I didn't know you could do that." I say grabbing my purse, and following Lorelai through those dreadful doors. I manage to find Richard's temporary room. He's hooked up to so many machines. It's scares me. Lorelai notices me trying to hide the tears, and pats my shoulder.

"Mom, how about you go find Dad a room, hmm?" She can tell I'm worried, so she gives me something to do. I don't know what I would do without her.

"Alright. You go find Rory." I walk off and stumble into the perfect room for

Richard. I go to find Joshua, and tell him Richard should get that room. What's the number? 202? Yes, that's it. Joshua says he'll try his best. He checks the man who's been occupying the room's charts. He says he can be moved, so he gets some orderlies to move him. Lorelai finds me, and giggles a little.

"What?" I ask. There's nothing funny about hospitals.

"You found a room, with a patient in it. Mom, this isn't exactly what I meant, but it'll do." She walks back out, I guess to find Rory. The room is finally cleared, and I start fiddling with the curtains. Pillows. He's going to need down pillows. I walk out of the room as Joshua changes the nameplate on the walk next to the door. I find those big, glass doors that lead to the lobby. I walk through them to find Lorelai and Luke talking.

"I've secured the room, but the pillows are completely unacceptable. I'm gonna see if I can find him some down ones and some slippers. I'll be right back." I walk toward the front desk and as the nurse for some pillows. Preferably down. She says she'll see what she can do. I sit down in a chair across from the desk and wait. God, how I hate waiting. It makes me...well...jittery. The nurse comes back with nothing in hand. I question her as to why she returned with nothing, and she said the closets hadn't been 'restocked'. Oh well. She left to find me the pillows, so I go to find Lorelai. I'm walking through some doors when she nearly runs me over.

"Lorelai," I say, a little agitated, "you almost ran me over."

"Well," she begins, "it's a good thing we're in a hospital." _Oh, haha. Funny girl_.

"Where were you going?"

"To find you. They just brought Dad up."

"When?" _Wow, I am demanding when I'm scared_.

"Just now."

"How is he? Did you talk to him?"

"No, not yet. I was coming to find you."

"Well, C'mon." I walk toward Richard's room.

"You go ahead, Mom. I'm gonna find Rory" She's squirming. Is she scared to go in there?

"Alright." I walk into Richard's room. He's hooked up to a heart monitor. I sit

in the chair next to him, and hold his hand. Rory comes in a few minutes later with his papers. She's such an angel. Richard starts waking up, so I give him a quick kiss, and go see if that nurse found his pillows.

* * *

Well, that quest took longer than I thought it would. Now, I'm headed back to Richard's room. Lorelai's 'friend', as she says, is sitting in a chair outside Richard's room, asleep. I walk in, only to find Rory reading him his papers. 

"Well, how are we doing?" I ask, putting the pillows down on the foot of Richard's bed.

"We're done with the front page of the Financial Times and all of The Wall Street Journal." Rory replies. I can see the fear in her eyes. She's such a sweet girl, trying to stay strong for her grandfather.

"Very good progress." I stammer in my head for words to get Rory out of the room before I start sobbing. "Rory, dear, how about you save the rest of the paper till later, hmm?"

"Ok." She folds up the paper, and turns to Richard. "If I hug you, is it gonna hurt?" Aw, how sweet.

"Pain is part of life." Richard tells her, and she bends down to hug him. After, she walks over to me, and I place an arm around her. "This little girl likes you." I say, and I think Rory blushed.

"Well, she has good taste." Richard says groggily.

"I'd better go find Mom, and see if she's alright. Knowing her, she's probably going through caffeine withdrawals." Rory can always make anyone laugh. She walks out, and I walk to the end of Richard's bed. "Emily, we need to talk."

Oh no. He starts talking about financial stuff and the will. I keep myself occupied by changing out his pillows, and talking about his sheets.

"Emily, listen to me. If I die-"

"No!" That came out with more force than I meant it to.

"Emily-"

"Richard Gilmore, there may be a lot of things happening in this hospital

tonight, but you dying is not one of them!" Oh gees. The tears in my eyes are stinging and trying to escape.

"But-"

"No! I did not sign on to your dying! It's not gonna happen. Not tonight, and

not for a very long time. In fact, I demand to go first. Do I make myself clear?" That was quite an interesting speech.

"Yes, Emily. You may go first." His face softens, and he just smiles at me.

"Good. Now, I'm gonna get you those sheets." I walk over to his bedside phone, and dial the house. When I put the receiver up to my ear, Richard takes my hand in his. _God, I don't want to lose him! _That touch is what did it. I can't hold back the tears anymore. The answering machine picks up, and I just hang the phone up. Apparently, the maid left for the evening. Richard tightens his grip on my hand, and I sit on the side of his bed and cry.

"It's alright. I'm here." Richard's trying to comfort me, and it's not working.

"I can't lose you!" I manage to say between the sobs.

"And you're not." Richard sits up, and wraps his big, protective arms around me. "Emmy, I'm not going to leave you."

"I'm so scared. Richard, I don't know what to do."

"Here." Richard pulls me up into his lap. "Does that make it better?"

"A little. Here." I give Richard the deepest kiss I can muster. "Does that help?"

"Yeah, it does."

"Rich, please don't leave me alone." I start sobbing again.

"I'm not. I'm gonna be with you forever. I'm not going to leave you. I promise." He kisses me on the cheek, then fully on the mouth. I have to break it, because I can't control the sobs.

"Richard, you need to get some sleep." I say, getting up.

"Emily, come here for just a second." I am almost to the door.

"Yeah, Baby?" I walk back up to his bed.

"I love you so much, you know that?" Richard says, putting his hand on my cheek.

"I love you, too. Now sleep. You need it. I'll be back in a minute." I walk out of the room, and realize Luke is sitting in one of the chairs by the door. "Oh, hello."

I'm walking back to Richard's room. I just washed my face, and had to calm Rory down. She's so scared. I'm not paying much attention where I'm walking, because I walked right into Joshua as he was walking to Richard's room.

"Oh, Joshua. I'm sorry." I say, taking a step back.

"That's alright. I think we were headed in the same direction." He must be holding Richard's paper work.

"Well, let's go." Rory puts in. We walk down to the room. Room 202. I'm never going to like that number again. Not like it was my favorite, or something, but it'll always be Richard's room number to me. Nothing else, and nothing more. We walk in, and Lorelai's standing at the foot of his bed. They must've been talking. "How you doing, Darling?"

* * *

"Oh, it's good to be home." Richard says as we walk in the door. 

"It's good to have you home." I say while wrapping my arms around his neck. I kiss him passionately, and he sweeps me off my feet. We walk into the living room, still in that position, and he sets me down gently. "What do you think about accompanying me to a little soak in the hot tub? I don't know about you, but it'll help _me_ relax."

"Sounds like a plan to me." I wrap my arms around his neck, and plant a loving kiss on his sweet lips. I'm so in love with this man.

**A/N 2: I wrote this listening to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon", so that's why it's a little...lemony, so to speak. Reviews are ALWAYS appreciated!**

**Branda**


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